1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an advantageous door design and, more particularly, to a door design having particular utility for rack-related mounting, e.g., in connection with a cable raceway or other electronic equipment application(s). The advantageous door design of the present disclosure is structured so as to be simultaneously hinged at the left and at the right, and to permit easy opening from either the right or left, as well as complete removal of the door from its mounting structure.
2. Background of the Disclosure
Typical electronic cabinets include a frame structure that defines a plurality of shelves upon which electronic items may be positioned and/or stored. Electronic cabinets typically include openings at various locations, e.g., top and side locations, to facilitate wiring, heat dissipation, and/or ready access to power source(s). Generally, electronic cabinets include a door that permits the contents of the cabinet to be shielded from view and/or protected from damage. The door is typically mounted to the frame by a hinge that is located on one side of the door, and a latch is typically provided on the other side of the door so that the door may be opened, for example, from left to right. Many existing electronic cabinet designs allow the user to unfasten the hinge assembly from the cabinet to allow the door to be flipped over, remounted and subsequently opened in the opposite direction, for example, from right to left.
The patent literature discloses prior efforts directed to developing modified systems for mounting movable elements, e.g., windows and doors, relative to fixed frames. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,148 to Chang discloses a dual axle linkage mechanism for doors and casement windows. The dual axle linkage mechanism disclosed in the Chang '148 patent includes a rotary unit that utilizes a spindle, an upper guiding block, a lower guiding block, a holding device, a retaining device and a restoring spring. According to the Chang disclosure, the driving device is able to move a pair of spindles on one side up or down in the frame, thereby permitting either side a door or window to serve as a rotary axle, provided it has a spindle disposed therein.
Additional teachings in the patent literature include U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,518 to Ladisa, wherein a double-action door structure is provided that may be opened along either side edge and in either direction by pushing or pulling. The disclosed Ladisa '518 door structure includes spring-loaded balls that are movable upwardly and downwardly into engagement on the sides of the door by a push bar/cam mechanism. U.S. Pat. No. 3,403,473 to Navarro provides a mechanism for reversibly mounting a door on a cabinet frame so that the door may be opened from either side. The Navarro '473 mechanism includes a pivot pins on both sides of the door that are movable into and out of engagement with supports using toggle arrangements. U.S. Pat. No. 3,048,898 to Davis discloses a combination latch and hinge mechanism that permits a door to be opened relative to the left or right hand edge. Additional systems for mounting movable elements, e.g., windows and doors, relative to fixed frames are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 331,466 to Whitney; U.S. Pat. No. 1,560,537 to Cole; U.S. Pat. No. 1,550,205 to Cemazar; U.S. Pat. No. 2,195,991 to Lovett; U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,728 to Moriyoshi; U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,652 to Yamada; U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,828 to Hashemnia; U.S. Pat. No. 5,926,916 to Lee et al.; and commonly assigned U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0020379 to Larsen et al.
Despite efforts to date, a need remains for a door design with enhanced usability. More particularly, a need remains for a door that enables a user to easily and efficiently open from left to right and from right to left, or to completely remove the door from its mounting structure. Although such need extends across a wide variety of applications, particular interest for an enhanced door design in applications involving storage of, and access to, electronic equipment and associated cabling/wiring.